TV-Series
Description
Kiyomasa Senji, also known by his codename Crow and prisoner number 279, is a Deadman incarcerated within the walls of Deadman Wonderland. Before his imprisonment, Senji served as a police officer. In the chaos following the Great Tokyo Earthquake, he already possessed his Branch of Sin ability, which he used to restore order alongside his colleagues Shindō, Momoi, Kan, and his superior Domon. Their efficiency made them targets for criminals. When a gang challenged Senji, his teammates went to face the threat to protect him, believing in his symbolic importance. By the time Senji arrived, all of them had been killed except for Domon, who gave him a final lecture about the nature of adulthood and relying on others before passing away. Senji later had the initials of his fallen friends tattooed above his right eye as a permanent memorial. Some time after this traumatic event, he was taken to Deadman Wonderland.
Senji presents the image of a battle-hungry and violent individual who seems to thoroughly enjoy combat, often using phrases like Dead Center to punctuate his attacks. Despite this wild exterior, he possesses a strong personal code of honor and respects strength and determination in others. This is demonstrated when he first encounters the protagonist Ganta Igarashi; seeing that the boy made no effort to defend himself, Senji opted to leave him alone, showing he is against needless killing. However, his personality contains an ironic and notable contradiction. While fearsome in battle, Senji becomes incredibly flustered and embarrassed by immodest behavior from women. When he first sees Shiro in her form-fitting bodysuit, he blushes intensely and insists she cover herself with his coat. This contrast between his ferocious fighting persona and his awkward, almost old-fashioned modesty adds a distinctive layer to his character.
As the first Deadman Ganta encounters in the prison's G Ward, Senji plays a crucial role as both an initial rival and a later mentor. After being scheduled to fight Ganta in a Carnival Corpse death match, Senji is surprisingly defeated when the less experienced boy uses a trick to win. Following the rules of the match, Senji loses his right eye, which is removed for research, and he thereafter wears a black eyepatch. Rather than holding a grudge, Senji develops a deep respect for Ganta for his victory. He declares that because Ganta beat him, the boy is not allowed to lose to anyone else until they have a rematch. In this spirit, Senji becomes an invaluable ally, helping Ganta understand the nature of his own abilities and even giving his Branch of Sin its iconic name, the Ganta Gun. He later aids Ganta and the resistance group Scar Chain in their fights against the Undertaker forces, demonstrating a willingness to risk his life for the young man he has come to see as an incredibly honest kid.
As a Deadman, Senji possesses the Branch of Sin, the ability to freely manipulate his own blood. He wears two rings with serrated blades on his thumbs, which he uses to cut his forearms and draw the necessary blood for his power. His specific Branch of Sin is called Crow Claw, which manifests as two large, scythe-like blades extending from the cuts on his arms. These blades are typically two to three feet long, but Senji has demonstrated the ability to extend them significantly to attack enemies at a distance without using more blood. He also developed a more powerful technique known as Invisible Black, a supersonic cutting attack that creates a massive blade across his hand, allowing him to slice a target to pieces in a flash. His mastery over his ability is such that he can even adapt his techniques to counter enemies, such as the Undertakers, whose Worm Eater abilities can negate other Deadmen's powers.
Throughout the story, Senji evolves from a seemingly unhinged and violent prisoner into a reliable, if gruff, mentor and friend. His initial motivation is simply the thrill of combat, but his loss to Ganta awakens a sense of purpose in nurturing a worthy rival. His backstory as a police officer who lost his entire team provides the foundation for his respect for strength and his eventual decision to protect others, mirroring the actions of his own senior officer, Domon. By the climax of the series, he fights alongside Ganta as a true partner, even sacrificing his own body to protect him from the primary antagonist, demonstrating a profound loyalty and the fulfillment of his development from a solitary fighter to a dependable comrade.
Senji presents the image of a battle-hungry and violent individual who seems to thoroughly enjoy combat, often using phrases like Dead Center to punctuate his attacks. Despite this wild exterior, he possesses a strong personal code of honor and respects strength and determination in others. This is demonstrated when he first encounters the protagonist Ganta Igarashi; seeing that the boy made no effort to defend himself, Senji opted to leave him alone, showing he is against needless killing. However, his personality contains an ironic and notable contradiction. While fearsome in battle, Senji becomes incredibly flustered and embarrassed by immodest behavior from women. When he first sees Shiro in her form-fitting bodysuit, he blushes intensely and insists she cover herself with his coat. This contrast between his ferocious fighting persona and his awkward, almost old-fashioned modesty adds a distinctive layer to his character.
As the first Deadman Ganta encounters in the prison's G Ward, Senji plays a crucial role as both an initial rival and a later mentor. After being scheduled to fight Ganta in a Carnival Corpse death match, Senji is surprisingly defeated when the less experienced boy uses a trick to win. Following the rules of the match, Senji loses his right eye, which is removed for research, and he thereafter wears a black eyepatch. Rather than holding a grudge, Senji develops a deep respect for Ganta for his victory. He declares that because Ganta beat him, the boy is not allowed to lose to anyone else until they have a rematch. In this spirit, Senji becomes an invaluable ally, helping Ganta understand the nature of his own abilities and even giving his Branch of Sin its iconic name, the Ganta Gun. He later aids Ganta and the resistance group Scar Chain in their fights against the Undertaker forces, demonstrating a willingness to risk his life for the young man he has come to see as an incredibly honest kid.
As a Deadman, Senji possesses the Branch of Sin, the ability to freely manipulate his own blood. He wears two rings with serrated blades on his thumbs, which he uses to cut his forearms and draw the necessary blood for his power. His specific Branch of Sin is called Crow Claw, which manifests as two large, scythe-like blades extending from the cuts on his arms. These blades are typically two to three feet long, but Senji has demonstrated the ability to extend them significantly to attack enemies at a distance without using more blood. He also developed a more powerful technique known as Invisible Black, a supersonic cutting attack that creates a massive blade across his hand, allowing him to slice a target to pieces in a flash. His mastery over his ability is such that he can even adapt his techniques to counter enemies, such as the Undertakers, whose Worm Eater abilities can negate other Deadmen's powers.
Throughout the story, Senji evolves from a seemingly unhinged and violent prisoner into a reliable, if gruff, mentor and friend. His initial motivation is simply the thrill of combat, but his loss to Ganta awakens a sense of purpose in nurturing a worthy rival. His backstory as a police officer who lost his entire team provides the foundation for his respect for strength and his eventual decision to protect others, mirroring the actions of his own senior officer, Domon. By the climax of the series, he fights alongside Ganta as a true partner, even sacrificing his own body to protect him from the primary antagonist, demonstrating a profound loyalty and the fulfillment of his development from a solitary fighter to a dependable comrade.